Plymouth Post Office mural will remain in place

“Regarding historical preservation, our contract with USPS ensures that the mural will remain in place for the ongoing enjoyment of residents and visitors,”…Plymouth Residents Mark and Patty Malcolm

As documented by the International Center for Arts of the Americas at the Museum of fine Arts, Houston, the mural on the west wall of the Plymouth Post Office, “Plymouth Trail” is the work artist Carlos Lopez.

Lopez, a Cuban-born artist who contributed to American mural art in Michigan, painted “Plymouth Trail” in 1938. From 1937–1942, Lopez completed many important murals for numerous post offices in Michigan and was extensively involved in the mural movement prompted by the United States government-sponsored Works Progress Administration (WPA) and its Public Works of Art Project during the 1930s.

The historic downtown Plymouth Post Office building has been sold, although the new ownership has not yet been finalized.

Plymouth residents Mark and Patty Malcolm told the members of the Plymouth City Commission during their regular meeting last week that they signed a contract with the United States Postal Service for the purchase of the building at 860 Penniman about two weeks ago.

The sale has not been finalized. “It’s unclear when sale will be finalized,” Mark Malcolm said. “The earliest time is probably October, but it might not be until early next year. The relocation of the post office will be the main determinant in timing.”

The post office is relocating to a former convenience store site at the corner of Penniman and Harvey, a very short distance from the current site.

“Regarding historical preservation, our contract with USPS ensures that the mural will remain in place for the ongoing enjoyment of residents and visitors,” Malcolm said. “We also have an agreement that existing and original features such as brass mailboxes, wood paneling and even the stamp table in the lobby will be included in the sale. We will attempt to incorporate as much as the historical character as possible into the building’s future use.”

Malcolm also said that the couple is not sure of the use or tenant for the building. He said that the remodeling and renovations will have to be approved by the State Historic Office. That office has agreed to place the property on the National Register of Historic Places, according to Malcolm “In terms of tenants and uses we would hope to attract to add value to the community, nothing is yet arranged,” Malcolm said.

“Our lowest priority at this time is a bar or a restaurant. No disrespect intended to the city’s existing bars and restaurants, but we believe it is not what the community needs in this building at this time. Our personal top preference is a gourmet market. It wouldn’t be helpful to speculate at this early date on who could fit that bill, maybe more importantly, whether we could recruit such a business to this location, but we’re going to try,” he said at the meeting.